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How much should you tip in 2014?

Think you’re a good tipper? Well, you might be even more generous than you thought, if a new survey is any indication.

Although many people regularly give tips in the double figures, nearly half (47 per cent) of all restaurateurs said that a gratuity of between five and ten per cent is appropriate.

Around a third (32 per cent) said that diners should add between ten and 15 per cent to their bill, while only one per cent of restaurateurs believed that an extra 20 per cent should be left by happy customers.

The stats were revealed in a poll from ResDiary which quizzed restaurant owners across the UK about their views on diners and how much they should tip for a good meal.

Interestingly, many owners said that customers should never be expected to tip and that they should not feel obliged to leave a gratuity.

More predictably, the survey found that a cash tip was unlikely to be left for a meal that already had a service charge automatically added to the bill.

Speaking about the stats, Mike Conyers, Chief Executive Officer at ResDiary, said: “The subject of tipping is perhaps one of the most hotly-debated subjects both around the restaurant table, and amongst industry professionals.”

He added: “The results [of the poll] were interesting, not least the fact that unlike our friends in the States, tipping in the UK is still very much viewed as an ‘option’ this side of the pond – stark contrast to attitudes of those operating business in the US.”

Brits’ love of eating out doesn’t seem to be declining in anyway though, with the recent Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker showing that we are spending more in restaurants than this time last year.

The average household spent £76.86 on eating out in October which was up from £75.01 in October 2013, although the amount spent on drinks fell from £44.99 to £41.41 in the same timeframe.